You can imagine that as the celebrations in India reached fever pitch at around 3am Sunday morning most weren’t thinking about anything else other than cricket and a whole lot of partying.
This is the continent where sports, illegal betting, and arrests all come as a kind of package though. It’s as if the chance to regulate sports betting is a lot less attractive than continually reporting the amount of arrests made. Like they’ve been offered the chance to watch The Fighter but would much rather just watch ITV4 reruns of Rocky IV and V.
The latest release concerns the total arrests and betting rackets busted during the tournament that ran from February 19 – April 2. The number stood at 44 arrests, 24 coming by way of businessmen and 13 property dealers, with 16 betting rackets smashed and a total of 158 mobile phones confiscated. Quite an impressive tale of the tape might we add!
A senior police officer commented, “During investigations, many racketeers shifted base to the neighbouring towns in Uttar Pradesh.”
The illegal rackets were present during almost every match involving the host nation with bets also placed on Pakistan v New Zealand and Sri Lanka v Kenya.
Meanwhile the development of Rocky Balboa II with a Bollywood twist is almost done and will be in all good, and bad, theatres near you soon!
Going back west, betting shop thieves are back in the news after a William Hill branch was robbed.
The shop, in Wick Parade, Littlehampton, was fleeced for around £180 by two suspects that had been playing on video gaming machines for around 30 minutes.
Two men carried it out on Valentine’s Day, 14 February. One was around 5’5” and the other 6’0” as a female shop assistant was threatened with a small knife. Cowardly or what! You wouldn’t catch that online now would you!
